Location and Time

When and Where?

We generally meet once a week at 6pm. The location and day does vary
does vary during the course of the year, so please check the
calendar below and please also join our mailing list.
(Hint: you can click the calendar items for
the full address and and a link to the Google Map of the location.)

We also have semi-regular extra meetings so people that can't make
it on the main club night can still play some games. Please see
the events calendar and join the mailing list for more
information about these.

You never pay a thing

Not counting any parking fees (when we're playing on WMU's campus), there are no fees associated with
this activity. About half the players bring their own equipment and half do not — not by recommendation,
simply by happy coincidence. Other than that, this game is simply a matter of putting stones on a board. Why
should it cost money?

Some clubs do charge a small membership fee, but we do not. We do accept donations, but only a couple
people have ever done so. There are some costs associated with AGA licensing and affiliation, but that
mostly relates to tournaments and tournament play.

Paypal tries to make it seem like you need a paypal account, but you do not.
You can use a creditcard directly if you can figure it out.

Do I need to know how to play?

We'd be happy to show you how to play. Showing you how to place stones and what their basic meaning is
takes about ten or twenty minutes. Almost everything you need to know (past the basic rules) you'll get from
simply playing games. In Go, a stronger player in a fairly even game will probably feel inclined to go over
the game and explain what happened and why they think you lost. This is built into the culture of Go.

If the players are so different in skill level the player with the lower skill has almost no chance the
stronger player will often slip into an “oh, this is a teaching game” mode and give tips throughout the
game. This may sound a bit patronizing, but it's also part of the culture. Everyone wants you to get
stronger at Go.

Also, for players of very different strength, Go has built in handicapping to help even out the games.
This is for the benefit of Black (traditionally the weaker player and the one who plays first) and for the
benefit of White. Everyone enjoys the game more when it's challenging — that is, it's possible to win and
it's possible to lose.

Beginners are really welcome?

Yes! Absolutely.

Unlike most other games of this sort, Go has built in handicapping. If a player is expected to win by 20
or 30 points, or if the weaker player has absolutely no chance of winning, the stronger player can give the
weaker player a handicap of two or three extra stones as the weaker player's first move — placed at standard
positions.

The handicap helps the stronger player's enjoyment of the game (by making it more challenging); but it
also helps the weaker player to learn to get stronger. This is an important point: you cannot learn (as
quickly) if you're not playing at the right skill level. If you're only playing weaker opponents you won't
get called out on your mistakes like you should. And If you're not presenting a challenge to your opponent
they won't be playing at their best — either not paying full attention, or not exploiting every weakness.
It's just human nature. If it's not a fair test, then there's not as much to learn.

We make these points strongly because some people resist handicap games. Do not resist the handicap.
Handicap games can be just as much fun as even games. Let's all remember that this is about thinking and
having fun — unless you're playing for money or competing in a tournament or something. Right?

Where else can I learn how to play?

Probably the best place to learn is by experience. Play lots of games!

Besides books, we recommend Sensei's Library.
The site is full of more Go info than any other website (probably). You can lookup anything from
the Japanese vocabulary words interstitial to the game to esoteric game commentary relating to
Hikaru No Go.